Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-10
TIE TEXAS PANHANDLE.
Observations CT One Who Made an Elk
tended Trip Through the Country.
J,CKSRORO TEX. tprII > 1851

JACKsBORO, TEX, april ,, 1887.
To the Editor of the Gazette.
On making an extended trip through
the Panhandle and the country adjacent
TO it l promised many readers Of your
valuable paper that after making careful
inspection of the country l would give
them such facts as presented themselves
to me. l found the lands of this re
giOn well adapted to corn, wheat and
oats, also to fruits OF almost al kinds.
Vegetables Of every kind grow to perfgc-
ton, aud especially melons. These lands
sre mostly Of dark loam, ar rich sDG
productive. There are in many places
some waste lands, most of which can be
utilized by planting the grape sets, as
grapes are the spontaneous growth
of the country. Prairie lands
can be easily broken with one
team of horses or oxen. Last year
was the drYest ever known, and yet
IN many places from twenty to thiriy-tive
bushels OF corn, ten to twenty of wheat
was grown to the acre. The section Is,
as q general thing, well watered, espe-
cially at the foot of the plains, there be-
| ing numerous rivers, creeks and springs
! of pure water, as good as one will find IL
almost any of the eastern states. Along
! these streams there is some good timber,
: suitable for building, fencing and fuel.
| The climate is delightful. Wild grapes
and plums are found growing slmoSt
everywhere. The grass (notwithstand-
| ing there has been no rain since last fall ,
is good, and stock of all kinds are look
ing well, many of them fat. This section
is rapidly settling up with s good sub
stantial set of people who so there "to
STAY" and IN my opinion, in lev
years, the Panhandle, and the
country territory TO it, will be more
thickIy settled than any portion of Texas
| The people, as 8 class, are law abiding,
and appear to have the interest of their
country at issue. There are many sec
tions of school and railroad lands not
taken up as yet. The Fort Worth aud
Denver City r tiLrOad is completed &c
Quanah, in HGrdeman county, mad the
grading beyond that point is being pushed
as rapidly as possible. This ROAD will
run through a splendid country, th-
best portion Of the Panhandle. There
is another road coming into this session
from Kiowa, kan, the Kansas southern
which is building as rapidly Cs possible
and will also pass through il. 1t, rs
thought the two roads, the Fort W0ftt
ard Denver ana Kansas Southern, vii
intersect by September l @
the present year. There are many mai
towns springiug up, all of which dt
a large frontier business. They are rap
IDLY Increasing in population. All farm
products sell n. 1t IS the home OF TIT
cattle and sheep man., as stock OF all kin(
thrive and do better there than i'll an
portion Of Texas. There is no place
know Of that offers SO good o tie 70
Touring and grist mills. Good water can b
gotten in most places at depth OF from
fifteen to forty feet, besides there beln!
numerous springs, some Of which al
"gippy." The rivers and creeks aboun'
in fish of all kinds, and gam is yet plen
tifuI in some places. There are spring
of mineral waters, such as alum, sulphur
iron, etc, and the wafer from some !
much priced By the people for their medi
t cinal qualities They say they will cure al
case Of dyspepsia, rheumatism, a@us
fever, etc. am fully convinced that
,, section in Texas is more healthful, as
have always gained il flesh when l mad
trip into that section; besides N
general health was improved.
All things taken in consideration thi
, country offers greater Inducements 10
settlers than any l know Of. &C"